


All is Fair in Love and War

by LadyOxymoron



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Teachers, Attempt at Humor, Enemies to Lovers, Feelings, Fluff, Humor, Implied Sexual Content, M/M, Playful Enemies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-16
Updated: 2020-04-16
Packaged: 2021-03-01 23:01:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,815
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23675032
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyOxymoron/pseuds/LadyOxymoron
Summary: The new teacher may be charming and unfairly attractive but he keeps parking his fancy car in Alec’s assigned space.Alec is willing to go to great lengths to get his coveted spot back, even if it means engaging in a prank war with the enemy.***Or, how a parking space war between two equally stubborn teachers leads to something more.Written for the SHBingo square "College AU".
Relationships: Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood
Comments: 46
Kudos: 325
Collections: SHBingo





	All is Fair in Love and War

**Author's Note:**

> This is my fill for the SHBingo square "College AU".

_This is just great,_ Alec thinks as he spots the red sport car that's currently occupying his parking space. His _reserved_ parking space, the one the college administration issued to him, just like every other professor. 

He’s already late because of a bad streak of luck with the alarm and the coffee maker and this is just the icing on the cake. He considers calling it in and going back home to hole himself up in bed until dinner because he can recognize it’s just that kind of day. 

Then Alec remembers his class is already behind schedule and he’s supposed to supervise a test he can’t afford to postpone.

There is nothing to be done but suck it up and go hunting for another parking space. As Alec revs his engine up and does just that, he's already plotting some form of childish retribution toward whoever stole his spot. 

He’ll take all the petty revenge he can get, thank you very much. 

***

Turns out, the car belongs to a new substitute professor. 

Alec means to confront him about the parking space but a glance at professor Bane, and the words die on his lips. 

Bane is probably one of the most attractive men Alec has ever seen. Striking features enhanced by the makeup he's wearing, sharp clothes, and sharp cheekbones to match. 

Alec freezes when professor Bane turns and sees him staring. He manages a nod and turns around, quickly leaving the room.

 _Maybe they assigned him my space by mistake,_ Alec thinks, brushing the matter off, his revenge forgotten. 

The man is new at the faculty and Alec can’t really blame him for an honest mistake, after all, can he?

***

  
  


The following day, Alec makes sure to arrive in time but again, professor Bane’s car is parked in his parking space. 

He goes straight to complain to the school administration but they don’t seem to find any mistakes with the parking space’s assignment.

That leads to Alec lurking around the professor’s room during his free time, waiting to catch Bane and talk to him and hoping he won’t make a fool of himself in the process. 

Finally, Alec manages to get a hold of professor Bane during the lunch break. 

He walks closer and clears his throat, waiting for professor Bane to look at him before talking. “Uh, sorry to bother you but you see-” 

“Who are _you?_ ” professor Bane asks, interrupting him. He gives Alec a slow once over that definitely _doesn’t_ leave him flustered. 

Alec refrains himself from rolling his eyes at the blatant flirting. “Yeah, sorry. Professor Lightwood,” he says, extending his hand because despite what Izzy says, Alec has manners, after all. 

Bane takes his hand, his grip steady. “Magnus Bane,” he says, flashing Alec a smile. “Do you have a first name, professor Lightwood?”

“Alec,” Alec says curtly. “Listen, I wanted to talk to you about the parking space.” 

“What about it?” Bane asks, leaning back in his chair with a languid movement that has Alec’s collar feel too tight. 

“You’ve been parking in my space.” 

“Have I?” Bane says, nonplussed. “I did not see any sign stating I couldn’t park there.”

“Yeah, well,” Alec says, confused by the man's lack of cooperation. Bane strikes him as the polite kind of guy, after all. “It’s mine and-”

Magnus Bane raises his palm up to interrupt Alec. “I’ve even asked the nice boy working in the parking area and he has informed me I can park my car in there.”

If you ask Alec, Raj is anything but nice. He's been the cause of several of Alec's headaches during the years of his tenure.“That’s not right. Administration assigned that space to me and Raj knows it.” Alec shakes his head and forces a smile. “So, I’m here to ask you to park your car somewhere else.”

“What if I don’t _want_ to, pretty boy?”

 _Pretty boy?_ Alec's reply dies into a splutter before it can leave his lips. He’s so taken aback at the _nerve_ of this man that his mind refuses to come up with a suitable reply. 

Professor Bane looks at him, amused, and stands. “Well, now that things are settled, I’d better start on my next class. It was a pleasure, my dear.”

With that, Bane leaves the room, hips swaying, every inch the confident man. 

Alec stares at the empty threshold and narrows his eyes. 

Forget manners. Forget politeness. Now, it’s something that goes beyond the school administration. Now it’s personal. 

_It’s war._

*** 

The next day, Alec makes sure to get to work a little earlier but to his dismay, Magnus Bane's car is already there. 

He's thinking to get out of his own car and lift the wipers up in childish payback when the man himself gets out of his car and brushes something off his pants, his face just a little too much on the side of nonchalant to not have seen Alec. 

Bane makes a scene of looking up and pretends to be surprised to see Alec. He smiles and waves at him as he locks his car and starts to head toward the main building. 

And he has no fucking right to look so sexy as he sways his hips, Alec thinks.

"Fuck this," Alec says, slamming his hand on his steering wheel. 

He jumps as the horn honks. 

***

"What the fuck, man?" Jace says, voice thick with sleep, as he almost jumps into Alec. 

"Watch out," Alec says, stepping back and getting his cup of coffee out of reach, trying to prevent it from spilling. 

"What the fuck are you doing up at this hour?" 

"I'm going to work," Alec replies nonchalantly, like getting out of the house two hours earlier than usual is absolutely normal. "I could ask the same," he adds, trying to deflect.

"I was just grabbing some water, bro," Jace says, proving his point by opening the fridge and taking a bottle out. He uncorks it and takes a long pull, gulping it down loudly. "Was going right back to sleep."

"Yeah, well, I'll leave you to it," Alec says. 

"Why the fuck are you leaving so early?" Jace asks. "Wait, is it about that guy?" Alec's silence must be enough of a reply because Jace laughs. "You tellin' me you're up at the crack of dawn for a fucking parking space?" 

Put it like that, it makes Alec look like a fool. But Alec is in the middle of a war, it's not like he can back off. Besides, he has papers he's been too busy to grade and he's planning to get to work on them in the quiet of his office, as he waits for classes to start. 

"It's not like that," he says, only to relent when Jace looks at him, unimpressed. "Well, maybe it is but what am I supposed to do? Let him win?"

"Can't you just ask for another space?" 

Alec freezes with his cup on his lips. 

Yeah, he definitely could do that. In fact, it'd be the grownup thing to do and Alec has always prided himself on being mature and level headed. 

Still, he can't let this go. "You're not supposed to be the responsible one,'' he says. He throws his napkin in Jace's direction and hurries out before his brother can retaliate. 

He can hear Jace's laugh until he's out on the road.

  
  


***

The ring of the school bell wakes Alec up. He straightens up on his seat with a low curse, grateful he doesn't have a lesson during the first period because he can use some time to go buy a cup of coffee that'll taste like piss from the vending machine and finish to grade the homework. 

At least, he's fallen asleep more than midway into grading, so he doesn't have much left to do. 

Besides, he's managed to steal back his parking space and the taste of victory is still fresh. 

Alec sighs and is about to stand up when he notices a cup of coffee in the middle of his desk. 

He frowns and looks around himself for clues that will tell him if he needs to thank professor Branwell for it. 

There is, however, no trace of the little notes Lydia is fond of leaving behind but Alec finds a folded handkerchief on top of the essay he was grading. 

The wet patch suggests it's been put under his mouth to prevent him from leaving his drooly dna all over students' homework. 

He turns it around and groans as he reads the finely embroidered initials. 

_MB._

Because of course Bane is the kind of man who carries embroidered handkerchiefs. 

Alec doesn't know what to make of the gesture. He decides to ignore the handkerchief because it's too early in the morning to suffer from acute cases of embarrassment. The coffee, on the other hand, could almost be considered as a peace offering, a sort of acknowledgement that Alec won the battle. 

He takes off the lid and smiles as the strong aroma pervades the air. 

_Maybe Bane is not so bad, after all,_ he thinks, taking a sip. 

Only to turn around just in time to not make a mess of the papers on his desk as he spits a spray of coffee all over the place.

 _Salt._

The bastard has put salt in Alec's fucking coffee. 

It's time to up the ante. 

***

That afternoon, Alec spends more time than he's willing to admit on the internet, looking for annoying but not actually harmful ways to exact his revenge. 

When he's about to give up, a post catches his attention. 

Alec smirks and heads out to the pet shop. 

***

Between two early morning classes in a row, a strike, their respective days off, and the weekend, it's not until a week later that Alec actually manages to set up his payback. 

He's checked both of their schedules beforehand, making sure to pick a day he'd start later and leave earlier than professor Bane. 

Ready for revenge, Alec makes sure to arrive on campus a little later than usual, for once satisfied to see Bane's car in his parking space. 

He finds another parking space and grabs his briefcase before getting out of the car and locking it. 

When he gets in front of his target, he stops and looks around himself to make sure nobody is watching him as he takes the small bag of bird seeds out of the briefcase. 

Alec wonders if maybe this is too much but in the end, the memory of the foul tasting coffee and the smug looks Bane has been sending his way all week push him to go ahead. 

He gets to work, making sure the roof of the car, its hood, and the bottom of the windshield are covered in seeds. 

A few hours later, after his lesson, Alec is in his car, waiting patiently, eager to enjoy the show.

Alec smirks as he spots Bane leaving the building, busy in an animated conversation with professors Rollins and Branwell. He watches them say their farewells and makes a mental note to talk to Lydia about betrayal and fraternizing with the enemy. 

His thoughts are cut short when he sees Bane walking toward his car. He keeps his eyes on the approaching colleague, in a mix of childish delight and anticipation.

Professor Bane stops in his tracks, a perfectly manicured hand flying to cover his mouth as he takes in the sight of the mess the birds have made all over his car. 

"Well, fuck." Alec hears him say. 

Alec doesn't think he's ever heard him curse before and he’d be damned if Bane doesn’t manage to make even a curse sound alluring.

He smothers the thought and enjoys the way Bane seems frozen in place. He ducks out of sight right as he sees Bane turn around to check the other cars, undoubtedly noticing his car is the only one targeted. 

Alec peers over the edge of his window and watches as Bane walks closer to the car, face scrunched up in disgust as he examines it closely. 

Bane is bound to notice some leftover seeds so Alec shrugs to himself and decides it's time to own it and claim his victory. 

He starts the car and advances, slowing down until Bane turns around and spots him. He sends a smile to Bane and waves, gleefully taking in the outrage on his colleague's face. 

Alec laughs and pushes on his horn in a cheerful farewell as he leaves the parking lot. 

**

The morning after, Alec finds a folded piece of paper on his desk. 

He opens it and laughs as he recognizes a car wash receipt. 

He takes the most well spent 20$ of his life out of his wallet and slips them inside the envelope. 

He leaves a small bag of seeds on Professor Bane's desk along with the money, just to have the last kick out of it. 

**

Alec waits for the repercussions of his stunt but none comes. 

Bane proves himself to be a hard nut to crack. For the following two days, his car is still stubbornly parked in Alec's space. 

On the third day, Alec finds it empty. He parks, not believing his luck and heads toward the school with a smirk and a spring in his step. 

He's not a fool, however, and he takes every break he can to go check on his car, fearing a delayed payback. 

By the end of the day, his car looks untouched. 

Maybe Bane has seen the errors of his way. Maybe he's just plotting retribution. 

Whatever the reason, Alec still keeps the upper hand. 

_Take that, Bane,_ he thinks as he enters the flow of traffic. 

Alec feels so light and vindicated, he goes as far as smiling wide at the old lady driving the car in line next to him.

She looks at him like he's lost his mind and turns to look straight ahead. 

He shrugs and turns on the radio, noticing the line of cars ahead. Not even the traffic of rush hour is enough to ruin his good mood. 

Not today. 

Then he reaches the line of cars and it's time to slow down. 

His foot hits the brakes. 

Alec jumps as his horn blares, sudden and unexpected. 

He groans, a principle of understanding dawning on him. 

Warily, Alec tests his theory by braking again and the horn coming to life confirms his suspicions. 

The driver of the car in front of him is giving him the middle finger. 

The old lady's weathered face is scrunched up in disapproval. 

At the next stop, the old lady shakes her head. 

Someone calls him _asshole_. 

Alec is going to _kill_ Bane. 

***

Alec has just stopped pacing their tiny living room and has just dropped on the couch when Jace gets back. 

"You're all set." His brother looks at him, mouth twitching. "No damage. It was just a harmless prank."

"Harmless my ass," Alec mutters, thinking about all the rude gestures and the _fuck you_ s he's received in the short route back home. "Thanks, though. I owe you one." 

"Still sulking?"

"I don't sulk," Alec says, even though he knows he's been doing just that for the last few hours. 

Jace laughs. "Yeah, well, get your not sulking ass in the kitchen. I'm starving and Izzy's going to be here soon." 

"Oh fuck," Alec says, standing up at once. 

Their Thursday's dinner has become something of a tradition ever since Alec moved out of the family house. It started as a way to keep in touch with his siblings and it went on even after Jace moved in with him to share expenses and even after Izzy moved with her girlfriend Clary a few blocks down the road. 

They usually make sure to get everything ready before Izzy gets to their place because Alec still has nightmares about that time they slacked off and she insisted to help. 

He glances at the clock and curses loudly. "I don't think we're gonna make it."

Jace groans and runs his hand through his hair. "Well, you said you owed me one for fixing your car. Pay up and buy pizza for everyone."

Alec nods, knowing is a small price to pay to spare his taste buds. "Go shower. I'm gonna make the call."

As Jace heads out of the room, Alec thinks this is another thing he's gonna get back at Professor Bane for. 

***

"So, how are things going?" Izzy asks, grabbing a large slice of pizza and taking a big bite. 

Jace takes a bite of his own and doesn't bother to finish chewing it before answering. "Things are going great at the shop. I think I've saved enough to be out of Alec's hair sooner than I thought."

Alec can't wait for the day he won't find another wet towel on the bathroom's floor. He can't wait to open the fridge and find an entire bottle of milk or food that's not gone bad. 

He also doesn't look forward to losing the companionship, the feeling of getting back home after a long day and find someone to talk to. Someone to watch a movie with when he doesn’t feel like talking. 

"You know there's no rush," he finds himself saying.

Izzy smirks at him knowingly but doesn't say anything. "And what about you, big brother? How are things going?"

"Same old stuff," Alec answers, shrugging his shoulders. 

"What?" Jace says in mock outrage. "Am I the only one who gets to hear you complain about Professor whatshisname?" 

"Bane," Alec mutters before he can think better of it. 

"What about this professor Bane?" Izzy asks, mischief both in her voice and her eyes. 

"There's nothing to say," Alec answers, taking a long pull of his beer. "He's just an asshole." 

"Listen to this," Jace says and he sounds so amused Alec feels the urge to smack him upside the head. "Bane is a new transfer and Alec has been spending the last few months fighting him over a parking space and, I kid you not, getting involved in car pranks." 

Izzy, to her credit, tries to stifle her laugh. She’s not successful. " _Our_ Alec? Are you for real?" 

"He started it," Alec mutters, feeling the prickle of heat over his cheeks.

There's a gleam in Izzy's eyes as she leans over and places her elbows on the table, pizza forgotten. "I want to hear all about this."

Alec knows a lost battle when he sees one and starts to explain about the parking space, the cocky professor, the coffee. 

With Jace's help-and some embellishment-soon Izzy has the full story and they're all laughing so hard they have to clutch their bellies. 

"So," Izzy wheezes as soon as she finds her voice, wiping a few tears with the back of her hand. "Why don't you guys bone already?"

Alec was in the process of taking a sip of his beer and Izzy's question makes him choke and spray it out of his nose. He coughs and winces at the burn before turning to Izzy, aghast. " _What?_ "

"I said," Izzy starts. "Why-"

“Yeah,” Alec hastily says, interrupting her. “I heard you the first time.”

“Then answer my question,” she replies as if she’s just asked Alec what his favorite dish is. 

“Why the fuck should we...” Alec trails off and sweeps his hands in a wide gesture, at a loss for words. 

“Bone is the word you’re looking for, man,” Jace says, accompanying his words with a rude gesture

Alec huffs and rolls his eyes at the juvenile behavior but nods, turning to look at his sister in inquiry. 

“Well,” she starts, smiling wide at Alec. “Your use of the words ‘unfairly attractive’ and ‘that charming asshole’ made me think this prank war is just elaborate foreplay.” 

“I didn’t say that!” Alec says vehemently, only to deflate as he realizes Izzy is right. “Did I?”

“You totally did,” Jace says, high fiving Izzy. 

“So, when are you going to ask him out?” Izzy asks. 

“I’m not,” Alec says in horrified realization that he is, indeed, attracted to Professor Bane. “It’s not like that. I mean, yeah, he’s easy on the eye but-”

“But?” she urges when it’s clear Alec is not going to finish the sentence.

“What part of ‘we’ve been fighting and pranking each other for months’ did you miss?” he asks, incredulous. 

“What part of ‘elaborate foreplay’ did you miss?” she shoots back. 

Alec deflates. Maybe his sister is right and it’s been an elaborate foreplay on _his part_. That doesn’t mean, professor Bane feels the same way. 

_He calls you pretty boy,_ a traitor voice whispers in the back of his mind. 

Alec ignores it, knowing Bane uses the endearments to piss him off, and shrugs. “I don’t think he’s interested.” 

“Really?” Izzy asks and this time is her turn to sound incredulous. “The guy has spent months engaging in this ‘ _war_ ’ you’ve got going.”

Alec lets out a huff. “We’re just having a bit of petty fun, that’s it.” 

“As you say, big brother, as you say.”

“Who wants ice cream?” Jace asks out of the blue and just like that, the conversation shifts to who’s going to get up and go get it and who’s going to fill the bowls. 

They end up eating it on the couch, out of the tubs and, thankfully, neither of them brings professor Bane up again. 

Izzy’s words stay with Alec for the rest of the evening, though, long past bedtime when he’s turning and tossing in bed, wondering at this new turn life has thrown at him. 

There's only one thing he knows. 

Alec is screwed. 

***

Alec is in office, definitely _not_ sulking, when a loud knock on the door brings him out of his head. 

He straightens up and makes sure his desk looks presentable. “Come in.”

Alec has to stifle a groan as professor Bane walks through the door, sauntering toward the chair in front of Alec’s desk and sitting down as if he owns the place. 

_He's so graceful_ , his brain supplies, unwelcome, and Alec hopes he’s not going to blush in front of the enemy. 

“Oh, please, make yourself at home,” he says, trying to look as sarcastic as usual but falling short of mildly amused. 

Bane flashes him a full-toothed grin and Alec tries to not focus on how cute he looks when he smiles. “Why, thank you, my dear.” 

“Can I help you with something?” 

“Always so charming,” Professor Bane says but Alec can recognize there’s no real heat behind the words. “And to answer your question, no. I just wanted to check up on you.”

Alec feels his eyes widen in surprise. “Check up on me? Why?”

“You see,” Bane says, leaning back against the backrest of the chair. The movement pushes his shirt up, revealing an alluring strip of naked skin and Alec has to look away before he makes a fool of himself and gets caught staring or something. “I haven’t _heard_ from you in two weeks, if you catch my drift, and I wanted to make sure everything was okay.” 

_Two weeks_. 

Two weeks since the dinner that shifted Alec’s perspective and made him question about this blasted crush he has on his colleague and sworn enemy. 

Okay, maybe sworn enemy is a little dramatic. 

Still, things used to be a lot easier when he didn’t have to fight against this increasing attraction he feels against Magnus Bane and that has prevented him from making the next move in their war. 

Alec definitely was _not_ expecting Professor Bane would come and check on him, of all things. 

“I’ve been busy,” he hastily says, pointing toward the pile of essays he has to grade. “You know, papers and stuff.”

“Stuff?” Bane asks, lips twitching in amusement. 

“Yeah,” Alec says, cursing himself for his inability to string two words together. “Lessons.”

Professor Bane’s eyebrow is still cocked up and Alec thinks about the unfairness of the fact that a mere eyebrow can look so elegant and attractive. 

“Well, that is a relief to hear,” Bane says, winking at Alec. “I was wondering whether you were going to concede defeat.”

“What?”Alc asks in incredulity, because attraction or not he’s never been one to back out of a competition. “I may have been busy with my schedule but that doesn’t mean I haven’t been plotting my revenge.”

Bane laughs, loud and bright, and Alec reluctantly admits it’s one of the best sounds that he’s heard in a while. “I’m happy to hear it,” he says and he’s smiling at Alec now, an honest to God smile that has Alec’s stomach fluttering. "But now that things are settled, I should take my leave. I have a class in ten minutes."

 _I'm so screwed_ , Alec thinks as Professor Bane stands in a fluid and graceful move that is _not_ going to give Alec inappropriate thoughts.

Nope, Alec definitely isn't gonna think about how all that grace and flexibility would translate in the bedroom. 

This time, he can feel the blush coming as the inappropriate thought sends blood heating the skin of his cheeks and filling another part of his anatomy at the same time. 

He coughs and moves some papers around with fake purpose, to avoid fidgeting and meeting Bane's gaze. 

Magnus Bane clears his throat and Alec realizes he's been silent for too long. 

"Uh, yeah," Alec says. "I'll just.." he waves his hands toward the papers and squeezes his thighs shut, even though he knows the desk is hiding him from sight.

"I'll leave you to your papers, then," Bane says and if Alec is not mistaken, he sounds amused now. "Have a good day."

"You too," Alec finds himself answering as Bane opens the door. 

Bane seems to hesitate just for a beat but then he resumes walking, leaving Alec's office with a sensual sway of his hips that both frustrates and arouses Alec more. 

_Damn you, Izzy,_ his inner voice says. 

Things used to be much simpler before Alec gained awareness of his crush but if he has to be honest with himself, he is not sure he wants to go back to how things were.

As aggravated as he feels, he realizes this has been the nicest conversation they've ever had. 

The smile doesn't quite leave his face for the rest of the day. 

  
  


***

Another week passes by and Alec is still trying to find out a way to retaliate but coming up empty. 

Thing is, he doesn't really want to prank professor Bane anymore. 

He is not ready to concede defeat and give up his parking space but somewhere along the line, he's stopped thinking about the next prank and he started daydreaming about making out with Bane. 

Daydreaming, nightdreaming, fantasizing. 

It's been hell on his nerves and on his overall academic performance. 

"Are you feeling well, professor?" 

The voice brings him out of his reverie. He snaps back to attention and nods. "Yeah," he says, trying to sound as nonchalant as he can. "Why wouldn't I be, miss Davis?"

Sophie Davis, one of his best students, shrugs. "You were staring into space, professor." 

Alec bites back a groan and schools his face into a neutral expression. "I was just thinking about next week's test," he lies, crossing his arms over his chest and adding a little glare to avoid further questions. "Now, everyone gets back to work. Those essays aren't gonna write themselves." 

Alec tries to focus for the rest of the class, sighing in relief when the bell signals it's over and he can retreat within the safety of his office. 

He's already halfway there when he realizes he's left his register behind. 

With a sigh, he walks back, only to stop when he hears voices from within the classroom. 

"Do you think there's something wrong with professor Lightwood?" Sophie Davis' voice asks. 

"Yeah," a high-pitched voice Alec recognizes as one of Davis' friends says. "He's been distracted, lately."

"Did you see how he was smiling?" A boy's voice Alec can’t quite place asks, incredulous. "I don't think I've ever seen him smile like that." 

"Maybe he got laid," another boy says and Alec scowls at the audacity. 

"Don't be crass, Robin," Davis says and Alec knew there was a reason he's always liked her. "Maybe he's just in love." 

And what is with people and their obsession about Alec’s love life? 

The voices are closer now and Alec realizes his students are walking toward the door. 

He turns on his heels and dashes toward his office, not wanting to be caught eavesdropping and embarrass himself further. 

The register can wait. It's not like Alec doesn't have more pressing concerns to deal with. 

Alec has got it for Magnus Bane. He's got it so bad that even his students are starting to catch up on it. 

Alec is so fucking screwed. 

***

Alec checks the parking area twice before getting out of his car. 

He's holding the tulip so tight he feels the stem snapping in between his fingers 

" _Fuck,"_ he curses, taking the end of the stem off and deciding the fucking flower still looks presentable. 

He has no idea how Izzy has managed to talk him into leaving a flower tucked under Bane's wipers but here he is. 

Instead of the retribution Bane is expecting, Alec is gonna leave him a peace offering. 

He's a little worried he's going to come across as a huge creep but Izzy thinks it's cute to end the feud right how it started. And Alec has to admit there's something about leaving an olive branch instead of a prank. 

Holding his breath, he walks to Bane's car and lifts the wipers, pressing the stem of the tulip against the windshield and blocking it there as he pushes the wipers back in place. 

The war is officially on hold as Alec tries to win over the enemy. 

Butterflies swarm in his stomach all day long. 

****

The next day is a Friday and for once, Alec finishes his lecture in time to have a quick lunch at the cafeteria instead of wolfing down a cold sandwich or a protein bar as he runs to his next class. 

He's met Magnus Bane briefly, just a sighting in the corridor on the second floor, both of them hurrying in different directions. 

Alec can still feel the intensity of his gaze as Bane looked at him, questioning and cautious and maybe a little hopeful. 

But maybe that was wistful thinking on Alec's part. In any case, he didn't stay behind to find out. He nodded curtly and ducked his head, too embarrassed to openly confront Bane after he'd made a fool of himself with that fucking flower. 

Alec sighs and takes the plate the woman behind the counter is handing him, thanking her before finishing to fill up his tray with a bottle of water and some fruit and heading to the cash register. 

"Hello, professor Lightwood," the girl at the cash register, Lindsay, says with a smile.

"Hi, Lindsay," he greets back, taking his wallet out of his pocket. 

"Oh no," Lindsay says. "It's all covered up, sir."

Alec frowns. "What?"

"Your lunch is already paid for." She leans over and smiles at Alec conspiratorially. "Professor Bane paid for it." 

"What?" Alec repeats, surprised. "How could he know I'd be here for lunch?" He asks, more to himself than to Lindsay.

She replies anyway. "Oh, he didn't. He just asked me to put your next order on his tab." 

Alec nods and thanks her, taking his tray to the first free table he can find and doing his best to ignore the knowing glances Lindsay is sending his way. 

He's surprised by Bane's gesture. If he has to be honest with himself, the stupid flower was a long shot. 

Alec was sure Bane would get a kick out of it but he wasn't expecting he would respond in kind and reciprocate with a nice gesture. 

Apparently, Magnus Bane is a man full of surprises and now that Alec is able to look past his initial dislike, he's intrigued by what he can see. He realizes he wants to know the man better, wherever it may lead. 

And to do so, there's only one thing to do. 

Ask him out. 

***

Alec spends the last few days trying to work up the courage to make his move. 

Magnus Bane seems to have noticed something is off with Alec because he keeps sending him glances whenever they cross paths in the hallways or during staff meetings, when he thinks Alec is not looking.

But Alec notices because he's always looking. Magnus-because somewhere along the way Professor Bane has become just Magnus in Alec's head- is like a beacon and Alec can't take his eyes off him. There's something about him, almost like a spark that lights up every room he walks in and Alec is drawn to it like a moth to a flame.

Alec needs to do something and soon because his silly crush is steadily growing into something bigger, something that's almost trespassing into dangerous territory. 

How on earth Alec has gone from open hostility and planning the next prank to lovestruck fool who doesn't know how to ask Magnus out is anyone's guess. 

Fate helps him out by dropping the occasion right on his lap when they are the last ones in the room after a staff meeting. 

"Wait," Alec says before Magnus can leave.

Magnus turns around and looks expectantly at him and Alec's heartbeat kicks up a notch. 

"Would you-" Alec clears his throat and decides it's best to get it over with. "Wanna go grab a drink sometimes?" 

Magnus stills and only the slight widening of his eyes betrays his surprise. He doesn't answer right away and Alec virtually pats himself on the back for rendering him speechless. 

The smugness is short lived when another few moments go by and Magnus still hasn't said a word. He's still looking at Alec, head cocked slightly to the side, questioning. 

When Alec is about to backtrack, not wanting to make a fool out of himself any more than he already has, Magnus speaks. 

"You mean that, don't you?"

"What?" Alec asks, surprised by the question. "Why wouldn't I?" 

"Just to be clear," Magnus says. "You are asking me out on a date." He waits for Alec's hesitant nod before going on. "And this is not some elaborate scheme to get back at me."

"What? No!" Alec shakes his head and makes eye contact to show Magnus how serious he is. "This is me asking you out." 

"In that case," Magnus says, the beginning of a smile on his face. "I'd be delighted to accept." 

Alec can't help it. He beams back, heart now hammering wildly against his ribcage.

They end up setting a date and a place and Alec finds himself smiling throughout the whole day. 

Not even Emerson disrupting his class is enough to quite wipe the smile off his face and by the end of the day, he's quite sure his grumpy teacher reputation is in tatters. 

Alec can't really bring himself to care.

***

"You look good, stop fussing." 

Alec ignores Jace and keeps running his fingers through his hair, trying to make it look at least presentable. 

It's too long and the button down is too snug, too green, too- 

"Stop that, Alec." Jace's voice brings Alec out of his head. "I know that look and I've got to stop you right there. Look, if the man has seen you in the morning and still agreed to go on a date, you're good." 

"Hey!" Alec tries to sound stern but he can't quite hide the amusement in his voice. "What's that supposed to mean?" 

"Just that this," Jace says, waving his hand in Alec's general direction. "Is a huge improvement from sleep deprived, 'slipping into the first clean clothes I can find' Alec."

Alec snorts but he has to concede Jace has a point. He's never been a morning person and early classes have always been a nightmare. He's lost count of the time he had to wear the first thing he could find or the times he's had to gulp down a cup of scalding coffee on the way down the stairs. 

Alec has no idea how on earth a man like Magnus Bane could be attracted to him. 

Oh, Alec knows he's good looking. It's just that Magnus Bane is always so put together, with his impeccable makeup and his sharp clothes and his fucking gorgeous face.

"Great, now he's daydreaming."

"Fuck off, Jace." 

"That's something you should do if you want to get to your date on time."

"Why?" Alec freezes with his fingers through his hair. "What time is it?" 

"Dunno, bro. It was a little past seven when I came in here." 

"Fuck me," Alec curses, glacing at his reflexion and deciding this will have to do if he doesn't want to be late. 

As he races out of the room, almost pushing Jace out of the way, his brother has the gall to laugh and say, "That's the point, man. Go get it." 

A few minutes later, when Alec has worn his jacket and gathered everything he needs, Jace is still snickering. 

*** 

"Dessert?" Magnus asks, twirling his wine glass between his fingers before taking a sip. 

_I'd rather have you for dessert_ , Alec thinks as he watches Magnus' throat work. 

"Sure," he finds himself saying instead. 

Alec has no idea about Magnus' intentions after dinner and he finds himself reluctant to end the evening. 

He'd been worried about awkward silences or worse, that they wouldn't get along, unable to push past the initial attrite. 

But to his relief, there has been only a minimum of teasing involved, and amicable teasing at that. From there, it's been smooth sailing. 

Magnus has proved himself to have a smart mind and a witty tongue to go with his sharp clothes and his mischievous streak and Alec has found himself laughing more times than he can count. 

Alec has also opened up about his life more than he imagined he would and Magnus, to his credit, has been an attentive and interested listener. 

Now, he smiles at Alec. "I hoped you'd say that," he says with a wink. "Their chocolate soufflé is to die for." 

The soufflé is one of the best things Alec has ever tasted but what is to die for, he soon discovers, is the way Magnus eats it. The way closes his eyes in delight and the sounds he makes. And _god_ , his fucking _mouth._ If Alec didn't know better he could swear Magnus was deliberately trying to drive him to madness.

Then Magnus looks at him and the barely concealed smugness on his face makes Alec rethink it.

The bastard most definitely knows what he's doing or at the very least, he's enjoying the attention. And if Alec has to be honest with himself, he’s quite enjoying the sight. 

As if reading Alec’s mind, Magnus winks at him and smiles, slow and deliberate. 

Alec almost chokes on his mouthful. “This is good,” he says, pointing in the general direction of his dessert, trying to deflect.

Magnus hums in agreement and nods, reaching out and wrapping his long fingers around the stem of his flute glass in a way Alec thinks should be illegal. He takes a sip and Alec tries to not look at his throat as he swallows. “But the wine is rather disappointing, I must say. I was wondering,” he says and Alec can see he’s trying to sound nonchalant. “How would you feel about coming over to my place, to end the night with a proper glass of wine.”

Alec mostly drinks beer and the odd glass of wine when Izzy is visiting. Wine all tastes the same to him and he’s sure he couldn’t tell apart a crappy grocery store wine from a gourmet wine to save his life but he finds himself nodding. “I’d love that.” 

Now that Alec knows the evening is not going to end with their dinner, he finds himself eager to leave the restaurant. 

Even if a glass of wine at Magnus' place is everything the evening is going to lead them to, he is eager to get to know Magnus in the quiet of a private space, where their conversation can potentially take a more intimate turn. 

And maybe, if Alec is lucky and he's been correctly reading Magnus's signals, he might also dare to kiss him and damn if the thought of kissing Magnus makes heat crawl across Alec's cheeks, down his neck. 

"Wonderful," Magnus says, interrupting Alec's thoughts before he can make a fool of himself. His confidence seems to have returned because his confident smile is back again.

It's not much later when they're leaving the place and heading toward Magnus' place. 

The walk is pleasant and the cool evening air soothes Alec's nerves and helps him clear his thoughts, even though his whole focus is on the man that's walking so close to him that their shoulders are almost brushing together.

He's struck by the sudden impulse to reach out and grab Magnus' hand but he shoves his hands deep in his pockets instead, aware they're not quite to the public display of affection stage yet. He also knows they may very well never get there but he intends to do his best to make sure this isn't some kind of one night stand. 

If anyone would have told him he'd want to date the parking spot thief, Alec would have laughed his ass off. And yet, here he is, heading to Magnus' place after a surprisingly delightful dinner. 

"Here we are," Magnus says, stopping in front of a tall building and interrupting Alec's train of thoughts. 

The building is tall and a little intimidating, considering Alec is pretty sure rent is bound to cost twice their teacher's salary. 

Magnus leads the way inside, walking to the elevator and keeping the door open for Alec in a surprisingly gallant gesture. The elevator brings them all the way up to the penthouse and by the time Magnus gets his keys in the lock, Alec is a bundle of nerves and anticipation. 

The place is incredibly warm and welcoming in its eccentricity. It's expensively furnished but with taste. Everything comes together to create the kind of atmosphere of a place well lived, oddly matching its owner.

"Please make yourself at home," Magnus says, loosening the collar of his shirt and pointing to the comfy-looking couch in the middle of the room. 

Alec's eyes follow the movement of Magnus' hands and the exposed skin of Magnus' throat does things to Alec's already frayed self control. It takes all he has to keep himself from reaching out and grabbing Magnus by the lapels of his jacket, and maybe follow the line of Magnus' throat with his lips. 

He sits down on the plush couch instead, crossing his legs and tugging the lapels of his shirt down, hoping to hide the evidence of his arousal. 

Before he knows it, Magnus is back and he's placing two glasses and a bottle of expensive-looking wine on the coffee table. He pours wine in both glasses and hands one of them to Alec, who thanks him with a nod. 

"To us," Magnus says, reaching out to chink his glass against Alec's. 

"Yeah," Alec says, failing to completely suppress a smile. 

Magnus smiles back and brings the glass to his lips and the way he tips his head back shouldn't be as sexy as it is. 

Alec takes a sip of his wine to keep himself from blurting out something that'd surely embarrass him and fights a grimace as the acidic taste of the wine hits his tongue. "This is good,'' he lies, hoping his face isn't doing funny things. 

His face, apparently, has decided to betray him because Magnus tips his head back and laughs. "You are a terrible liar, darling." 

And how the fuck they went from pranking each other to endearments escapes Alec but he'll be damned if he doesn't rather like it. 

"Yeah," he says, letting out a huff of laughter. "I'm afraid your fancy wine is lost on me, sorry." 

"Nonsense, dear," Magnus stands and takes Alec's glass and fuck if the brush of his fingers against Alec doesn't feel like electricity. "Let me get you something else." 

And really, Alec doesn't need anything else, doesn't _want_ anything else. Considering he's just a casual drinker, the wine he's had for dinner is enough if he wants to be sober for what, hopefully, will come later. 

It's certainly enough to give him that extra boldness it takes to reach out and grab Magnus' hand. "No, I'm good."

Magnus' face falls marginally. It's so subtle Alec notices it only because he's looking closely. It's quickly replaced by a too cheerful smile. "As you wish, Alexander." 

"Yeah, I've had enough to drink for tonight.'' Instead of letting go of Magnus' hand, Alec tugs at it, shifting to face Magnus after he follows the lead and sits down. "But I'd like to stay a little longer if that's okay with you."

"Of course!" The smile on Magnus' face turns genuine now and it's so bright it takes Alec's breath away. "I'd love that." 

There's a beat of silence and it's so charged Alec can almost taste the electricity in the air. He has no idea who closes the distance but it doesn't matter because as soon as their lips meet, Alec's world shifts. 

The kiss is slow at first, tentative. It soon turns hungry and heated and really, why the fuck have they spent so much time fighting when they could have spent their time making out? 

Considering his enthusiastic response, Magnus is thinking the same. 

They spend the next few hours making up for it and it's only much later that they're in bed, both naked and equally satisfied.

Alec shifts closer and rests his head on Magnus' shoulder. "So, does this mean you're gonna find a new parking space now?"

" _Alexander!"_ The mock outrage in Magnus' voice makes Alec smile. "Are you telling me you've slept with me to get your parking space back?" 

Alec huffs out a quiet laugh. "Did it work?" He asks, the words belied by the gentle press of his lips over Magnus' collarbone. 

"Most certainly not," Magnus says, laughter in his voice. 

Alec can’t quite bring himself to mind.

  
  


***

A few months later, they decide to go to work together, on Alec's car. 

Their neverending morning war can wait for one day, Alec thinks as he slides into _their_ parking space and smiles at Magnus.

**Author's Note:**

> If you've made it to the end, thank you for reading. <3
> 
> I've realized this is my first 'full AU' and for some reason, I feel nervous about posting. I hope it works. :)
> 
> Thank you to the Bingo organizers!
> 
> And last but not least, a big thank you to Toby, who let me flail and helped me sort out title and summary and for being a great sounding board and a lovely human. <3 
> 
> (If you want to say hi, I'm on tumblr and twitter with the same handle.)


End file.
